Because of the Cat
by Lass Luna
Summary: We're sleeping together except now you got kidnapped? Guess I got to save you.
1. Chapter 1

_Part 1: Emma_

He meets her on the dock; he has normal dock worker clothes on, trying to blend in. He is trying to gather intelligence on a ship with a large amount of wealth on it, it was either on _The Darling,_ or it was on _The Firebird._ Considering both were going in opposite directions it was vital that Killian figures out which had the gold.

A hit this big would set his crew up for a while and really stick it to King Frank of Oz. Killian wanted more than to annoy the greedy king, but stealing all his money would do…for now.

He notices her immediately considering how out of place she is. She's clean for one thing, crisp even in white linens and furs to combat the cold, not an ounce of dirt anywhere on her person. Her blonde hair striking and beautiful, she looks angelic.

She doesn't look like she belongs anywhere near a pirate ship in the middle of the night. But she just stands in front of it with her arms crossed. In fact, she looks like she's been crying.

Before he decides what to do, she spots him, green eyes filled with nothing but fire. He knows immediately that if he's not careful he'll burn from those eyes alone.

"Is this your ship?" She asks suddenly, blocking his path back.

"No." He says curtly, "I just work on it, why do you need something?" He asks curiously, someone like her doesn't want to talk to Captain Hook. They shouldn't. Captain Hook is dangerous and dark.

"I need to speak to the captain." She says sharply, he feels her eyes looking him up and down. He was absolutely right about those eyes.

"Well love, you can't speak to him unless you can tell me why you need to speak to him." He assures her. He comes up with a dozen possible answers, most of them involving a man as good and perfect as she seems to be.

Her answer is absolutely the last thing he expects.

She points to the cat on his ship, a mouser that crawled on the Jolly a few ports back. "Your cat looks sick." She utters. "If you're not going to take care of your animals, you might as well not have them." She utters sharply.

It completely throws him for a loop.

"You're here in the middle of the night, confronting a captain you do not know…because of a cat?" He confirms.

"Well I'm not here specifically for the cat." She corrects. "The water calms me." She admits. "I have a lot on my mind right now, a lot I can't fix. But one thing I can fix is that cat so are you going to let me talk to your captain or not?"

He smiled at her. "I too use the ocean to calm me. You can see the Captain if you so desire." He assured her, inviting him onto the ship, and down to his cabin. He poured them both shots of rum. He knows it was the right decision when she takes it in one swig and practically slams the glass back on the table.

"Now, what's on your mind lass?" He asks, settling into his chair. "I can assure you, now that it's been brought to my attention, I'll see to the cat's welfare."

"I knew you were the captain." She assured him. "I can tell you were lying."

"Oh?"

"Plus you are too hot to be a simple deckhand." She says boldly, lifting her chin and sitting on his bed.

"I assure you lass; there is nothing simple about me." He assures her, drinking his own rum. "Why are you really here?" He asks, getting up from his chair, strolling over to her.

"The water calms me." She repeats, breaking his gaze, looking out the port window.

"So you've said." He places a hand on her shoulder feeling how soft her cloak is. She lets him. It feels more like feathers than furs.

"Your cat looks too skinny." Her fingers rise to untie it, allowing him to push it down her shoulders. Her eyes are back on him.

"I promise I'll fix that." He pushes golden hair behind her ear and lets his hand rest on her cheek. She bites her lip.

"Good." She rises from the bed quickly and suddenly, her hands on his coat pulling him into a kiss. It was fast and commanding. Her hands trying to push his jacket off his shoulders, he helps her along, his hand finding her waist.

He breaks the kiss. "Lass-" But her mouth just finds his neck and he groans at the sensation. "You're not here for that cat…"

"No." She says, practically pushing him into sitting on the bed. "I'm not _just_ here for the cat." She smirks, eyes blown. "I think you can figure out what I'm here for."

He knows that this woman was going to ruin him.

/

He expects never to see her again. He expects her to be some aristocrat housewife, angry at her husband and wanting to bed a dirty pirate to stick it to him.

(It reminds him of another woman, one with dark hair, bedding him for the same reason, at least at first.)

He never got a name, but he calls her Swan in his head for the feather like texture the cloak had.

Regardless, he asks the cook to feed the cat any scraps he could spare. The man laughs at his request, but complies.

She does indeed show up next time he's at that port, dressed less ostentatious than before, a simple burgundy dress. He tries to remain casual, tries to pretend that he hasn't been thinking her of the months since they parted.

(Since she snuck out in the middle of the night with no word)

She looks more relaxed, almost peaceful as she stands by the dock.

"I have something for the cat." She announces with a smile. There's a container of milk with a bow on it.

"I assure you, the cat has gained some weight since we last parted." He assures her.

"I'll be the judge of that." She declares, inviting herself on his ship. Once she seems satisfied by the mouser, she helps herself to some rum and his chair.

"You have very good rum." She insists.

"That's your reason." He asks with a smirk.

"Yup."

"Not looking for anything else?" He asks leaning in. _"Someone else."_

"Not at all." She insists, taking another gulp of rum. "But seriously, where do you _get_ this stuff."

He promises he'll bring her some next time he visits.

"Oh there is no next time." She assures him. "Better make this one count."

He does, he _definitely does._

/

There is a next time, and a time after that, and a time after that. He eventually loses track of the times. Killian just knows that once he makes ports within a few days she appears with a bottle of milk for the cat, Henry as Swan has named him.

"You know Swan, one of these times; you're going to have to tell me your name." He tells her as she rests her head on his shoulder, hair ending up in his mouth, like it always does.

"But I like the Swan, Killian." She replies. "Anyway, this…this is just this right? IT's not like we're…" She trails off.

He knows, he always knows.

 _It's just sex._

/

He learns that she's just as feisty with a sword as she is in his cabin. He offers her dinner on the deck, she accepts gladly, watching him look over his ship and prepare to depart the next day when one of the crew makes a rude remark about her.

He orders the man to stop, but it was too late, Swan was _pissed._

She goes over and decks him in the jaw and when the man draws a blade, she picks one up herself. Swan demands that he fight her if he is to say such rude things about her.

It doesn't take long for her to disarm him, a blade to his neck.

"Swan, please don't kill my crew, they are hard to come by so close to the castle." He says in a complaint, but really he's truly mystified by her.

She jolts back to herself, helping the man up, who apologies for his comment and returns to his quarters, tail between his legs.

"You know Swan." He says on the way back to his cabin. "I knew there was a little pirate in you."

She beams.

/

They return after a nasty battle with the Oz Navy, they were almost caught. They'd evaded thankfully, a canon nearly taking off his head. They'd been boarded and he had a nasty cut in his side, but the Jolly Roger was victorious at the end.

He decides it's best to drown himself in the bottle, as old thoughts and demons come about.; thoughts about Liam and the royals who killed him.

He didn't intend on seeing her. But it was the closest port and they needed repairs done.

She finds him in his cabin, nursing his wounds. "The cat's chasing a nasty rat in the kitchen." He slurs.

"I didn't come here for the cat."

"Well you didn't come here for me, so what do you want Swan?" He says; Killian's too tired and too angry for these games.

"I heard you got hurt." She snaps back. "I wanted to see if you were ok."

He rolls his eyes leaning up in bed, despite the pull on his injury. "I'm fine Swan. I'll be ship shape next time you need me to scratch that itch of yours, for now just leave me in peace."

She gasps at his words.

"You think all I see you as is sex?" She demands. "Damn it Killian I was worried! I was worried that you wouldn't come back! But if you don't want me here, I'll just go."

He doesn't want her to go. He catches her hand with his. She stops, fire in her eyes, but she stops. He doesn't say he's sorry. He doesn't say anything at all.

Swan just sits in the bed next to him.

He eventually cracks, rum loosening his lips.

He rambles about the fight the battle, his endless crusade against the people who were responsible for Liam's death, against all the royals, because it didn't matter which crown you served they were all the same.

He never felt good enough for his brother his entire life, and now he can't even avenge him.

Killian eventually falls asleep, head on Swan's lap as she runs her hands through his hair, whispers of affection in his ear.

For once, when he wakes up that next morning, Swan's still there

/

But all good things eventually end.

She comes to see him after a really ha

"Killian I need to tell you something." She admits one night.

He expected this, expected the 'husband talk'. He never cared with Milah, why should he care now?

(Why should he care about how she likes to raid his book collection when he has to chart their courses, she likes adventure book, why should he care that she loves the exotic spices he has the cook use when she's here, or how some times she wears expensive earrings but curses them when she remembers them, like she forgot to take them off before coming here.

Why should he care after she sat with him as he was drunk and spewing nonsense, hurt and angry at the world.)

"I'm not who you think I am." She practically blurts out, hands behind her as she shifted her weight constantly. "I'm so sorry."

He doesn't quite understand why she's so nervous.

"I don't understand." He insists. "You haven't told me so much as your name, I don't have any idea of your life apart from this."

She averts his gaze, staring at his feet. "That's because you'd know who I was the moment you heard my name." She says. "I liked being Swan with you, just Swan, no backstory, no drama, nothing, just Swan and Killian on a pirate ship."

He likes that too.

"Just who are you Swan?"

Green eyes flicker to his, burning just as brightly, but looking sad.

"My name is Emma." She says as a whisper. "Princess Emma of Misthaven."

 _Princess._ He repeats the word in his head until it makes sense. _Swan-no Emma- is a Princess._

"I know how you feel about royals, how they killed your brother, and what happened wasn't fair. It wasn't what my family would ever do." She continues. "But I can't just ignore your feelings like that."

He was sleeping with a princess, a princess who kept bringing milk to the cat, who he cares for intensely.

"If you never-…if you never want to see me again, I'll understand." She says ducking her head. IT breaks into the shock he's feeling, hearing how…dare he say, heartbroken she sounds.

"Never want to see you again?" He repeats. "Darling, that thought never ever would cross my mind." Green eyes snaps to his. He closes the distance between them, kissing her. He wants her to know, even if he can't say it. "Because of the cat." He says when they break apart. Henry would be devastated."

Swan, Emma smirks. She wipes tears from her eyes, tears he pretends he doesn't see.

"Because of the cat." She repeats. "Who would give him milk?" He presses another kiss to her lips.

"He'd miss you terribly."

"He would wouldn't he?"

"Absolutly."

/

After finding out about her identity, Killian expected things to be easier. She finally told him things. Killian learned that her father taught her how to fight, how to lift your chin and weather the storm.

Her mother was a spit fire, never doing as she's told, but having the grace to make you think she had. Killian learned that Emma's best friend was Queen Elsa of Arendell, she often had her Aunt Ruby cover for her, but the woman didn't know who she was seeing.

He learned why she was crying that night oh so long ago.

"I heard my parents consultants talking about me." She says into the darkness, his arms tightly wrapped around her. He was tracing shapes into her hips with his hand. "They called me trouble, a rebel. They said I would never be like my parents, they put the kingdom before all else. I was too selfish for that…"

"Swan…"

"They said that no man would ever want to marry me. They said that I was too rebellious, too much for any prince to ever think about touching me…"

"That's not true, any man would be lucky to have you. You're strong and beautiful and passionate." He insists, turning her over so she could see him. "You're nothing if not selfless; you're going to make a wonderful queen."

/

"Are you sure you're feeding Henry enough? He's so skinny." She insists, lying entirely in the nude under his blankets, the ship's cat curled up on her lap. He glances over at her from his spot at the desk, finishing with his logs, months after her midnight confession, ever since then things had been bloody brilliant.

"I assure you Princess, he gets plenty to eat, along with the mice, he gets all the scraps from the crew along with the fresh milk you bring him." He says looking up at her putting the grey cat's head. Kilian can hear him purring from here.

She rolls her eyes at him. "I told you to quite the Princess talk, got it?"

He nods. "Of course, your highness." He assures her.

"If Henry wasn't asleep, I'd go over there and smack you." She confirms. Killian has no doubt that was true. "We had a deal, no princess pirate talk while in bed, Killian"

"I'm not in bed."

"That's your own fault."

Killian chuckles at that. "What time do I have to take you back?" He asks, glancing out at the sea all around them, he could see the port from here, but being a ways away was nice. Emma shrugs.

"I'm supposed to be out with Ruby, so maybe in a few hours?" She asks. "After this I won't be able to meet after the b-" She cuts off, Killian knows she thinks she's said too much.

"The ball?" He repeats. A blush appears on her cheeks. "What's so wrong about telling me about a ball, doesn't your mother throw one every other month?" He asks.

Killian can already sense there's something more to this one. People have been speaking about it far more in other ports in the area.

"She invited suitors to this one." Emma murmurs softly. "She thought it was time, made me promise to keep an open mind.

 _Suitors._ The word is a jab to the chest. Because it's an all-too real reminder of what this is their doing, playing with fire on a ticking clock; one day Emma would belong to someone else and he would just be a distant memory.

"Anyone interesting?" He asks casually, trying not to act bothered. He wasn't bothered.

"Why do you care?" She spits back. "We both new this isn't anything Hook."

 _Hook._

"You're right." He snaps back, clenching the pencil in his hand tightly. "I guess I don't care."

He doesn't, he doesn't care one bit who she's going to meet that his ball of hers; he especially doesn't care if she meets her future husband. He doesn't care because it's not going be him.

"Killian…" Emma says trying to backtrack. He can tell, but he's already too angry.

"I hope you have a _fabulous_ time at your ball." He utters standing up.

"Killian don't be like this." She snaps. "You don't get to be hurt by something you knew was coming." He rolls his eyes.

"Of course your majesty, how silly I've been, just bedding the local pirate to blow off some steam."

Swan stands up suddenly, making Henry meow loudly in complaint as she stalks up to him.

"You know damn well it's about more than that." She hisses. "You know that I care, and you know that we can't keep doing this."

Of course he knows.

"Then why do you keep coming back?" He asks. "And don't say it's about the cat."

Emma shakes her head. "As if you don't already know." She insists, turning around and gathering up her clothes, changing in silence. "I guess this is goodbye Hook." She says fully dressed on her way out of his cabin. She sounds sad and he instantly regrets his behavior.

"Until next time?" He asks, pleads really.

Emma looks back at him, cold flames burning him in her gaze. "No, I don't think there will be a next time." She insists.

And she's gone.

/

 _Perhaps he is being foolish._ Killian thinks, all decked up in clothes he considers royal, weeks after his fight with Swan. He was a stubborn ass and he needed to make it up to her. He needed her to know how sorry he was.

 _How lost he's been without her, how much he needs her, how much he misses her._

How he had completely and utterly fallen in love with her.

"Invitation?" The woman at the front of the castle asks. He hands her one, he'd stolen it of course. He wonders if it was reported, "Prince Charles, we've been expecting you!" The woman gushes.

"The pleasure is mine." He says kissing the woman's hand, flashing her his charming smile. The woman blushes before letting him inside.

He was just one of the 'suitors' tonight, which arguably wasn't a lie. One could argue he had been courting Emma since the day they met, just in a less traditional way.

Killian exchanges pleasantries with a few of the men, they don't seem too terrible, but Killian is confident that none of them could handle Swan. She would chew them up and spit them out without even trying given half a chance.

One of the suitors didn't even bother conversing with the other guests, decked out in green and gold, he stood apart, analyzing the ballroom as if he was waiting for something interesting to arrive.

Killian couldn't help but approach the man. He rationalized that if he couldn't be with Swan, he wanted her to be someone worthy of her. "What do you think the Princess is like?" He asks the man casually.

He looks him up and down. Killian knows that look; the man was looking at him like one does an insect, something beneath you. "Far out of your league." He says with a toothy smirk.

"Oh?" He asks. "I believe I received the same invite you did." He replies.

"Your was just to be polite." He says in an attempt to be kind. "She's a princess, of one of the largest kingdoms in the realms; she needs to be at the side of someone powerful if her kingdom is to grow." He insists. "Besides you've heard the rumors, she's wild, untamed, un-princess like at all. Her parents are dying to have her tied down so she won't get into any more trouble."

"I always heard that King James and Queen Snow married for love and wished the same thing for their daughter." That's how Emma put it at least.

"Love is nothing compared to power." Killian decided that he definitely wanted to punch this man at some point this evening.

"Who were you again? I'm sorry, I don't come to these things very often." He got an eye roll from the man.

"Prince Walsh of Oz." He explains. "Take my advise, find some lady here, have your fun and then go home to your tiny kingdom and forget all about Princess Emma, perhaps I'll even invite you to the wedding if you stay out of my way." With that Walsh, passed by him roughly, hitting his shoulder with his own causing Killian to stumble slightly.

 _Oh he wanted to punch him._

Until he sees her, and God almighty, _she's beautiful._

And Emma is always beautiful when she comes to his ship, a breath of fresh air after long days at sea, but this was different. Tonight she looks truly like a princess. Her dress is red and flowing, seeming endless. Her hair is braided and up, like a halo. She looks like an absolute angel.

"Now introducing Princess Emma." Someone announces as she enters the ballroom, Killian notices her father take her first dance, whispering into her ear as the music plays. Whatever he says makes her laugh, a bright real thing.

As soon as she finishes, a crowd of men greet her, hoping to have the next one. Just as predicted, Walsh seems to push past the others the hardest, speaking the loudest. She eventually accepts the offer, but Emma doesn't look please, not one bit. He didn't expect her to be.

If he knew Swan, and he definitely did, Walsh wouldn't last one dance before opening his mouth and saying something insulting causing Emma to lash out at him. Killian waited with baited breath to see the man being knocked down a peg or two.

Killian feels his entire being go ablaze when the man moves his hand too low. Emma looks absolutely repulsed by whatever he's saying. He practically marches over, wanting to rip him away from his Swan.

Except of course, Emma being Emma, the usual spitfire she is, detangles with him sharply, and hisses a few words at him and not too subtly stomps on his foot.

And that's when he makes his move.

"You're going to regret that." The man snarls as Killian nears, the other _suitors_ are too distracted to notice what's happening.

"Watch me Walsh." Emma snaps back. "I'd rather die than marry you."

The man moves towards her once again, grabbing at her arm but this time Killian is in the way.

"The dance is over mate." He confirms, stepping between this, his eyes daring him to challenge him. "If I were you I'd go find an unaccompanied lass and then go back to your kingdom tail between your legs." He hisses with a smile on his face. The man stands there fuming, but backs away when he notices the King, Emma's father looking their way suspiciously. The man's hand was resting on his blade.

"Perhaps I can step in." He says, turning to offer his hand to Emma. The look on Emma's face is absolutely priceless. "You-" She says. "You look…"

Killian smirks. "I know." He says kissing her hand gently. "Prince Charles your highness." He introduces. Emma catches on quickly, agreeing to his offer of a dance.

"What are you doing?" She hisses once they're alone in the midst of a dance.

"I'm a pirate, stealing treasure is part of the job." He teases, because he's dancing with Emma in her castle, he's holding her close, and flying far too close to the sun. One misstep and he'd be in the dungeon or on his way to the gallows.

"You're lying to me." Emma adds, the bite in her voice fading.

"Well you're heart is the most valueable treasure here so I think I'm telling you the truth." He counters.

"Seriously Killian." Swan asks, face soft and pleading. It breaks his heart because she looks to be in pain by his presence and that's the last thing he wants.

"Perhaps I'm apologizing." He says in a softer tone. "Perhaps I do care."

Emma hesitates as he twirls her. "You know we can't." She says softly. "What we are, what we have, is temporary. I have to find a husband, someone to lead by my side."

He knows this. He's always known this. She needs someone, anyone but him.

"I couldn't stay away. I couldn't stand knowing that these boys who care more about your power or wealth than you get to dance with you while you're mad at me." He utters. "I didn't want your last memory of me to be me being an ass because I was jealous."

She pauses, looking to be caught off guard by his admittance.

"I'm sorry too. I know you care Killian, but you know this is only going to end one way right? Now or later, it's going to hurt like crazy."

He knows.

"Now that I've started looking for a husband, it should probably be now."

 _No, please._ This isn't what he wanted.

"If you must, what your heart desires Swan, that's all I'll ever want." But he's not like her, at his core he's still selfish, he is a greedy pirate when it comes to her. "But if this is what you want, will you give me this? One night of being the Fairytale Prince you deserve?" Just one more night to pretend that he could ever deserve his Swan, which she could possibly love…

"Ok." She breathes. "Just one more night."

Emma dances with all the suitors, but saves him a few dances throughout it. She tells him all about the others, laughing about the stupidity of it all.

If they did disappear into one of the empty bedrooms of the palace for 'one last fling' well, that's their own secret.

/

"I thought we said last time was the last time." Emma asks. Killian shrugs, pulling her closer. Her bare back pressed against his chest as he wrapped himself around her.

"You came to me." He reminds her. He hadn't expected the Princess of Misthaven to come in midmorning in a hood and pants, practically dragging him back to his cabin for one last good time.

"I had to say goodbye to the cat."

"Of course." He tells her. "You can always come to see Henry." He insists. A stray blonde hair finding itself in his mouth, making him spit it out.

"Killian."

"I'm serious…you don't have to call this off. This can be whatever you want it to be." Emma turns over, pulling the sheets over herself.

"You know I have to Killian. You deserve to find someone too." He does, he knows he does, but he believes in his soul that he already has.

"Run away with me." He blurts out.

"What?"

"We can be together, we can be happy, you always talked about the places you wanted to go, how you want to be just Swan, you can do that. Come with me, sail away with me and we can be together."

It's crazy, absolutely insane.

"I can't just disappear." Emma says.

"Why not?"

Emma doesn't have an answer right away. "My family, my people." She says eventually, "my friends, my life."

He shakes his head. "You can still have that, eventually, you can write to your parents, see them, same thing with your friends, your parents are young, you can come back, we can be happy Emma, truly."

Killian wants her to say yes.

"I'm sorry Killian."

But understands when she can't. He understands that Emma isn'tselfish, she puts everyone before herself. He loves that about her.

"I love you." He says, watching her leave the Jolly for the last time.

"I know."

"There won't be a day I won't think of you." He says, she turns back and smiles.

"Good."

/

"It appears Princess Emma of Misthaven is as wild as they claim." The conversation peaks his interest, months after the last time he's seen her. He was true to his word, letting her break it off without making it harder for her than it already was.

He tries his best to never stop at that port. He dies however, because sometimes it's unavoidable. He's still a captain and has to put his crew first.

She doesn't come.

"Running away with some prince in another kingdom." The sailor says with a disappointed sigh. "I bet she's pregnant."

 _Run away?_ It doesn't sound like the Emma he knows. But really it hurt to think that she could have fallen in love with someone else so quickly, would be willing to run away with someone else.

Killian should just walk away, forget her, forget Swan. She deserves better, she was happy.

"What were you saying about the Princess?" He asks the two old sailors. They are more than happy to gossip with him. He's always been a glutton for punishment.

Apparently, Swan was on her way to the docks, but never made it home. The kingdom searched for her until a letter was sent from Emma herself explaining how she's fallen in love with Prince Walsh of Oz and she was marrying him despite her parents' reservations.

 _Oh bloody hell._ He curses, storming back to his ship. Killian remembers the man's threat, his vow to make Emma pay.

 _Captain Hook was going to Oz and was getting his Swan back. Heaven help anyone that stood in his way._

 _/_

Saving Emma was exactly what he intended to do at least, but when he burst into the throne room, he saw Emma bashing Walsh with a club, how she'd gotten a club, he had no idea.

" _And that's what you get for kidnapping me!"_ She shouts as the man moves to duck her blow. Killian can see he's bleeding pretty badly. "Think this is going to trap me into accepting your ridiculous proposal?" She demands. He can feel pure fire in her entire being as she goes for blood.

"Guards!" He shouts.

Except Killian's already knocked them out cold on his way here.

"Let them save you!" Emma hisses, going for Walsh again. "Take me back to the dungeon because all you're getting from me is a kick in the-" He approaches slowly, pressing a hand to her arm.

Emma spins around and punches Killian square in the nose.

Killian recoils sharply, nearly dropping his sword ad he cups his face from her right hook.

"You-" Emma says, breathing heavily. She looks dumbstruck. Her face is smeared with blood and dirt, her dress is torn and ruined, she has one shoe on. It's obvious that Emma hasn't changed clothes since she was taken, weeks ago.

"Easy Swan." He says. She doesn't move, doesn't drop her weapon, if anything she grips it tighter. "I'm here to save you." He looks around at the bleeding prince on the ground. "But you seem to be depriving me of a dashing rescue."

Now that elicits a response. "No one save me but me." She says it stubbornly, glaring at Walsh.

She lets him place his arms around her, pulling her close to him. "I know Swan. I know." She collapses into him. "I've got you."

At this moment the prince choses to gather some courage, "What are you doing in my castle?" He says, grabbing a weapon. "I knew you were no prince." He seethes. "Get away from my fiancé."

Rage surges through Killian as he strikes, knocking him on the head with the blunt end of his hook.

"Come on Swan. Let's go home."

/

It takes her a while to calm down, adrenaline keeping her tense and battle ready. She refuses to stop until they're back on _The Jolly_ , and already cast out to sea, and the only reason she agrees to rest at all is because he's seen the wounds on her wrists, the dried blood on her hair.

He wants to go back and gut everyone who even thought about hurting his Swan.

She doesn't say much as he bandages her wrists, lost in her own head, a place he himself frequented often.

"It'll take a few days to get back to Misthaven." He says eventually. "I'll bring you in a bath and I have some clothes you can change into." He offers.

She nods.

"Henry misses you." The cat was curled up beside her, acting like it hadn't slept since they parted. His comment gets a smile. "Are you alright love?" he presses gently. Her silence isn't normal; it's the shock of the last few days.

She shakes her head. "The whole kingdom thinks I'm marrying him." She utters softly. "I was running away in the middle of my night; put a decoy in my bed. I didn't intend to run away, but I intended to sneak out. It's going to ruin everything." She says exasperated. "An international crisis they'll say. But I can't marry him Killian, I _can't-_ " He stops her, pulling her close to his chest, shushing her.

"You won't."

"I'll look like I was just using him, seeing what I can get from him and dumping him, that's not me." He knows. Walsh has her between a rock and hard place.

"I'll never get married; I'll be a disappointment to my family."

"You won't. Your parents love you, you're never a disappointment Swan, you're bloody brilliant, we'll think of a way out of this mess." He assures her. "And until then you can rest here, recover." He won't let anything happen to her.

"How did you find me?" She eventually blurts out, looking up at him. Life was slowly returning to her face. It was a relief if he was being honest.

"I heard a rumor about you that couldn't be true. I went looking for the source and I found you." He adds.

"But we're not…anything anymore." She adds.

He stares at her dumbfounded. "You know why Swan." He reminds her, "We are never going to be nothing, because since we parted, I kept my promise, every day."

There's tears in her eyes as she kisses him.

"I was running away." She repeats. "To find you, to tell you…" She trails off. "But it doesn't matter now Killian. After all the rumors, I have to go home, I have to fix things." He kisses her back. Knowing the words she can't say.

They were always playing with fire; they always knew they'd both be burned.

"Until the end of my day, I'll always love you." He whispers into her hair. "And that's why you are going to tell the truth. Tell them a pirate took you, you never made it to Oz. Tell them after this ordeal you need to rethink your plans, your love for Walsh." He says it bitterly and sarcastically

Emma blinks in surprise. "Killian…"

"It'll get you out of this mess. No one will suspect anything, there will be no international crisis." He assures her. Because Emma cared about her people, and a war on Oz for her abduction was the last thing she wanted.

"I'd have to point the finger at you, Killian, they'll be hunting for your head; my father, Oz, everyone. You've been safe because no one cared to hunt the Jolly Roger, not like this, you could never come back to Misthaven…"

He knows. "But you'll be safe. You'll be safe from Walsh, safe to find a husband who deserves you."

"I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you, but it's the only way."

He doesn't expect her to start to cry, practically sobbing into his chest, he just holds her as she does, the stress of everything hitting her all at once. He tells her it'll be ok.

She doesn't call him out for lying.

/

They spend the next few days hold up in his cabin or laughing on the deck, anything they can do to forget what will happen when they make port in Arendelle. The story is that she'll 'escape' there, running to her friend who will give her safe passage home.

It takes longer than it usually does; Killian is greedy, knowing this will be the last he sees of her, so he takes the long way, going around storms rather than through them.

"You should take Henry with you." He says when they reach their destination.

"He's your mouser." Emma argues, but he doesn't care.

"I'll come back for him." He insists. "I know you'll take care of him, and you'll know that someday I'll come back, for the cat of course." He says with a wink.

"Of course."

There's a pause, he shifts uncertainly on his feet. He wants to kiss her, but he knows it's goodbye.

Emma makes the decision for him, surging forward holding on to him for dear life. She kisses him like she's drowning.

"I'm going to fix this Killian, I promise. I'm going to fix everything." He asserts.

He knows she will, as he parts, watches her with the cat in hand, he knows that she'll fix this, that he'll come back to her someday.

Hopefully sooner rather than later.


	2. Chapter 2

**My second contribution to January Joy this year, it's been an absolute blast taking part in this event once again. Thank you so much Ultraluckycatnd for taking a look at this in my time of need.**

* * *

"Are you alright Emma?" Elsa says, gently pushing the door open.

Her quarters are neat and grand, bright blue bedding; a perfect image of the horizon from her bedroom. It even feels cool despite the horrible heatwave.

But she isn't alright. Not even a bit. How can she be when her heart is actually breaking?

"Did they hurt you?" Elsa asks. She can tell her friend is worried. Emma has barely spoken since she arrived. She just said the bare minimum, and refused to let go of Henry. She can't bear to lose the cat right now, not after already losing something so important to her.

 _Someone._

"No." she says eventually, but that's a lie. Her wrists had been red and swollen from the ropes, and her head had had a deep cut on it. The people who took her had hurt her, taken her to Oz, stuck her in a dungeon and when they thought she was 'desperate' enough, brought her to Walsh.

Walsh who wanted to make a deal with her, who wanted to marry her, wanted to try to bully her into it. Make her seem like a slut for abandoning her people so that no one would ever respect her rule or marry him; those were her choices.

Emma was glad she got those hits in to the sniveling little man. Emma was glad someone else was there, someone who knew her enough to know that was never like her.

"Did the pirates hurt you? Did Captain Hook hurt you?" Elsa repeated, touching her still healing wrists, making her flinch slightly.

 _No, he saved me._

"No," she repeats, trying to regain her composure, trying to heal her heart break. She wasn't supposed to be broken hearted about the man that had supposedly kidnapped her. Emma gives Henry a small pat on the head. He mews happily rubbing against her, settled happily in her lap. "I just want to go home," she says slowly. "I need to go home as soon as possible."

/

' _She's been through a trauma_ ' they say. ' _She's gone mad_ ' others whisper.

It hurts to know they speak about her, think her mad to be turning down Walsh's marriage proposal time and time again. But it makes sense. That's what Emma needs: something that makes sense.

Her mother gives her all the time she needs, and promises that it doesn't matter what happened. As long as she's safe and happy Oz can be as annoyed as they want.

"You never explained about the cat," her mother says one evening during tea, Henry rubbing against her legs. He's grown quite comfortable in the palace, keeping the kitchen free of mice, and her bedroom free of loneliness.

 _He introduced me to Captain Hook one evening when I thought he was too skinny. I kept visiting him and his captain any chance I could. I feel in love with Captain Hook; Killian. When I had to say good bye, he gave me Henry so I could believe I would see him again._

"He helped me escape," she says simply, reading her book. "Is Dad still trying to find him?"

"You mean the pirates who kidnapped you sweetie?" Snow asks. She nods. Her father has been in an outrage since she returned. He's been mad about her 'secret love' and about the kidnapping.

"Of course. Your father is devastated that this happened right under his nose, possibly ruined your love, which I wish you told me about might I add." Emma nods. "But I did have my suspicion."

That catches Emma's attention. "Your suspicion?" Emma repeats.

"You were always disappearing, coming back looking happier than I've ever seen you. I tried inviting anyone visiting anywhere close to the ball and your father told me you danced with Walsh and after the ball you seemed so happy…and then when he left, you got very sad…" she trails off.

 _It wasn't Walsh, it was Killian_ she wants to scream. But she doesn't. That would just make everything worse.

"I could never hide anything from you Mom." she says, but her voice sounds hollow to her ears.

/

 _Emma is having a really bad day. Like seriously, she was a mess. She'd messed up at the war meeting, not that they actually were in a war; her father just likes to be prepared._

 _She'd called one of the advisor's plans dumb, because it was dumb. It was a stupid use of resources and it showed how much they didn't care about their people. Her father had been so proud of her. For once, Emma thought she could do this. For once, Emma didn't think she would screw up the entire kingdom when she became queen. But then the advisor had pushed back at her, asking for a better idea which she fumbled at. Apparently it was rude to shoot down someone's plan without having a better idea._

 _To make matters worse, she overheard them talking after the meeting, calling her a foolish child. They thought she was reckless and loose. They thought she would never ever amount to anything more than a frigid royal. They laughed at the idea of her ever marrying anyone._

 _Emma doesn't care about their opinions, really she doesn't. Her father always calls them old fuddy-duddies, always so behind on the times, but it still hurt. Hearing the words still hurt._

 _So maybe she doesn't have the best head space going down to the docks, she feels like she ruins everything she touches. She always feels inferior and she can never figure out why._

 _She was never as graceful as her mother, never as noble as her father. So what if she's had flings with some of the castle guards. She is human and shouldn't be judged like that by her own court._

 _Emma isn't frigid, she isn't loose. She's a princess. Emma's more than a princess. She knows that really. Her parents always tell her so. She was supposed to be The Savior if the Queen had cast her curse. She was supposed to save everyone._

 _So why can't she do any of this right?_

 _Then she hears a small sound. It grabs her attention away from the horizon, and her problems. It takes Emma a moment to realize what it is._

 _It's a cat. It's a small, skinny grey cat. It looked hungry and sad. It wasn't one of the ships she recognized, so she didn't directly board and tend to it. She knew ship captains didn't treat their animals right. Emma wanted to fix that. Usually she wasn't a big animal lover, but seeing that pitiful thing made her want to help it. More than wanting to, she needed to. It was one thing she could fix; maybe she just wanted to fix one damn thing._

 _Then she saw the captain, disguised as a deckhand for some odd reason, but she knew instantly with those piercing blue eyes and curious smile that he was a man in charge._

 _Emma did board the ship to help the cat. She did, truly, but she did get a little_ distracted _along the way._

/

"You have a letter," Ruby announces, walking right into her room without knocking. Usually she appreciates her Godmother's actions, not treating her like she's damaged.

"If it's from Walsh, just chuck it into the fire with the others," she says sharply. It's been months since she's seen Killian and it hurts. She hears of all the places he's going, running from the Misthaven and the Oz navies.

He's in danger because he's trying to protect her. Emma's tried to fix it, tried to convince her father that she doesn't want vengeance or justice; she wants to move past it. It doesn't work.

"It's from Prince Charles," Ruby says, raising her brows into a wolfish grin.

Emma practically drops the book. "What?" she exclaims. Ruby's grin widens.

"I knew it! This was the guy you danced with at least three times! Why in the world did you want to marry Walsh then?" she exclaims.

"Give me the letter Ruby," she demands. She hands over the letter, leaving the room with a smirk that screams that it wasn't over.

 _Dear Princess,_

 _Having met you at the ball, I couldn't stop thinking about you darling._

 _I hope I made an impression. I hope you have fond memories of that night._

 _I heard about your ordeal, I wish you a swift recovery._

 _Currently, I am traveling the realm, versing myself on the world before I settle down._

 _I hope to you see you soon._

 _Prince Charles._

Emma nearly broke into tears seeing his fancy script. She'd seen his writing on corners of books or on random scraps of papers. She never realized how soothing it could be until now.

Emma turns to Henry, who was fast asleep on her pillow. She presses a kiss into his sleek fur, causing him to roll onto his back and purr.

"It's all going to be ok Henry." For once she actually believes it.

It felt amazing to know he was ok. Better yet, it gave her a chance to write _back_ to him.

/

 _I think of you fondly Prince. Perhaps you can come back to Misthaven someday. Currently, we have a pirate problem my father is trying hard to eradicate. I hear he suspects the scourge to be in Camelot. Is that close to where you are?_

 _/_

 _Camelot is a fascinating place. Full of rich history and even richer people, definitely a place a dashing pirate would hide. I, however, am residing with the fishes, or at least chatting up some mermaids. However, beautiful as they may be, none are as beautiful as you._

 _/_

 _You're such a charmer; I'm sure at least one mermaid caught your eye._

 _/_

 _Only when they disguised themselves as you darling. I did manage to pick up a knickknack for you, though; a seashell. It's supposed to let you communicate with your True Love every full moon._

/

 _Didn't think you were one to believe in such things. Did you pick up one for yourself, hoping you'll get lucky? Perhaps hoping little ol' me will be on the other end? Maybe a handsome prince will be on the other end. You'll just be introducing me to my soulmate._

 _/_

 _I don't think any prince could handle you, love. There's a little pirate in you that's for sure._

 _/_

The letters come like clockwork and Ruby becomes more insistent with what was going on with her.

"Ever since the letters started, you've become more and more like your old self," she presses, holding the next letter away from her reach. "But the funny thing is that Prince Charles had his invitation stolen for the ball." Emma groans.

"It doesn't matter, I know what I'm doing Ruby!" she exclaims impatiently, snatching the note away from her.

"Do you?" she responds. "You never even mentioned Walsh, and then I find out you ran away causing an international incident? How do I know you won't do it again?"

Emma levels Ruby a glare. "Because I'm not a child Ruby; I learn from my mistakes," she snaps.

"You're lying about something," Ruby scolds. "And I'm going to get to the bottom of it," she declares, marching away seconds before Emma can slam the door on her face.

 _I'm on my way to Agrabah, currently, so I'll be unable to get any messages from you for a bit darling. Messenger birds tend to get distracted by the smells of spices and herbs around these parts, but I'll be thinking of you._

She smiles at it, and formulates her response.

/

"Emma!" her father announces at breakfast. He seems livelier than ever, and she smiles at his excitement. She hopes it means he's found something better to occupy his time than catching Killian. Really, she's just waiting for him to lose interest to just let it go.

She's told him over and over again that she wants it dropped, that she wants to move on with her life.

 _With Killian._

She has no idea how to go about doing that, but getting her dad to drop the grudge would be a fantastic start.

"They caught him!" he exclaims. "The pirate, Captain Hook. Oz's navy caught him leaving Agrabah!"

Emma swears she's stopped breathing.

"You don't have to say anything Emma," her father says, his hands on her shoulders. "But we've got him. I promised you I'd get justice for you for him ruining your wedding."

Emma is not someone who breaks easily. She's tough as nails, her mother's daughter. But just hearing her father say this, this _lie?_ She just can't.

Emma absolutely breaks into a sob. Her father pulls her into his embrace and she feels safe for a minute; in her father's arms she feels safe and protected. "They're hanging him for his crimes Emma. You're safe. I promise. You're safe.

She breaks away from her father with eyes wide. "E-Executing?" she realizes. She absolutely can't breathe.

"He kidnapped you on top of all his other crimes of piracy," her father explains, wiping away her tears, just like he always does. But he _can't._

"No!" she shouts. "Father, please you can't let them do this." It catches him completely off guard.

"Sweetie…I know executing is not how we do things in Misthaven, but in Oz it's a just punishment, especially after-" she doesn't let him finish, she can't. She can't hear it.

"Daddy please, tell them to stop this, to wait. Don't let this happen. If you love me, you won't let this happen!" she practically yells. By then her mother moves, trying to comfort her.

"Sweetie-" But Emma can't. She doesn't want comforting, she wants to fix this. She wants everything to stop spiraling out of control.

"I can't do this!" she says, brushing off both their attempts to help and rushes out of the room.

/

She doesn't let her parents in, nor Hopper with his claims that she was having an emotional connection with her kidnapper. Emma didn't want to hear it. She wasn't a basket case, she wasn't a victim, but Emma couldn't tell them that. She didn't know what to tell them.

The only thing she wants to do is be here with Henry. He's calmly sitting on her bed, playing with her as she taps her fingers on the bed.

"Emma let me in," Ruby demands outside her door. "I'm not above breaking this door down, you know," she adds.

Emma doesn't care. _Let her_ Emma thinks.

"I have a letter Emma," she says softly. "Let me in."

That gets her attention. She moves from her bed and from her position by Henry. He mews in displeasure from having her stop playing. She goes to the door opening it a bit.

"A letter?" she repeats dumbfounded.

"Oh honey," Ruby says, but she holds out the parchment. It causes Emma to gasp. "I heard what happened." she says as she hands it over. Emma can't believe what she's holding. She walks back into the room. Her name's on it, but the ink looks older than they usually seem.

 _Emma,_

 _I instructed Smee to send this to you in the event that I got captured. I'm sorry Swan, so sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you. But it's worth it knowing you're safe and happy. You should know our time together has meant the world to me._

 _Before you, I was obsessed with what I lost, with avenging those I loved. I didn't care if that meant my death. You saved me darling. You brought me back._

 _Don't worry about me Swan. Don't come for me Swan. I have no regrets, not a bloody one. Find someone worthy love, find someone who thinks you're beautiful, and admires your fire. Never settle for anything less._

 _I love you Swan._

 _And not because of the cat._

Quickly Emma folds up the note, desperate to get it away from her before her tears ruin the ink, and blurs his words.

Emma needs to fix this and she has no idea how. Ruby's behind her and pulls her into a hug and she lets her. She holds onto her friend.

"It's him isn't it?" Ruby says as she strokes her hair. "The pirate, he's the guy you've been seeing for all these months."

She nods. It doesn't matter anymore.

"He never took me Ruby, never. He would never hurt me. Walsh. He took me. I snubbed him at my party. He was rude and so he had his people grab me."

She hears Ruby intake a sharp breath.

"He was trying to trap me, trying to ruin my reputation. But Killian came to get me. We came up with this plan to avoid a war. You know Dad, he would have demanded Walsh be punished. It was the only way Ruby. It was the only way."

She feels Ruby nod against her.

"But I don't want him to die. I-I can't be responsible for k-killing him." Ruby pulls away from her, hands on her shoulders.

"I get it Emma. Trust me, if anyone understands it's me. But it's not over yet. Your father already wrote to the King. He's asking them not to execute him. It might buy us some time."

"Us?"

"So Emma, I think it's time you met my girlfriend."

/

It's not that Emma never knew about Ruby's girlfriend it was just that Mulan was busy. She was a free spirit, a true soldier. She came and went wherever she was needed, from small towns being overrun by outlaws, to infiltrating corrupt kingdoms and exposing their evil.

She is a warrior, which is why they had to go all the way down to the docks to meet with her. She was in one of the pubs that even Killian avoided. It was too full of drunks egging for a fight.

"Mulan's been in town for these last few days," Ruby introduces, placing a kiss on her cheek. "And I think she's the one thing that can help fix this."

Emma smiles at her. "Hi, it's a pleasure to meet you," she says and Mulan smiles back, but Emma could tell she was uncomfortable. She was dressed to a T in armor, a blade at her hip.

"Ruby tells me you need to save a prisoner?" she asks, getting right down to business. That was perfectly fine with Emma.

"Yes. His name is Killian Jones," she says. "He's been captured by the Oz Navy."

Mulan hesitates. "Do you mean the pirate?" she asks. "I heard they captured a ruthless pirate." Now it's Emma's turn to hesitate.

"He's changed," she admits. "He's a pirate, but he also saved my life; risked his own to help me protect my people, and avoid a needless war," she expresses. "I can't let him die."

Mulan nods. "I understand. Now what exactly do you want me to do?" She asks simply.

 _What did Emma want her to do_ Emma thinks. She wants to fix this, she wants to save Killian; she wants things to go back to normal. _No._ Emma wants _more_ than just normal _._

"I want you to get me into Oz, and help me take down anyone in my way to save my pirate."

/

Mulan, true to her word, gets her to Oz in the back of a supply ship. It was far less comfortable than the Jolly Roger.

She doesn't tell Mulan that.

Ruby stays behind and pretends to be her, locking her door and refusing entrance as she's done. It's just a little bit of time. That's all she needs.

The castle is massive; she knows this, plated in emerald with many heartless guards ensuring no one enters. Emma can tell that it's far more secure this time around.

But Mulan is a professional. When she can't sneak or fight her way inside, she buys her way with a stack of gold. She tells a guard a simple story about wanting to catch her cheating husband at work with a maid. It takes a bit of convincing but it works and they're inside.

From there, it's easy to get down to the dungeon. After all, she knows the way.

/

She finds him eventually, in the depth of the dungeon with barely any light to see. She uses the sound of his voice to find him. Emma can hear him muttering in between rasps. Complaining really about anything he could think of.

She nearly gasps in relief when she nears his cell.

When she finds him, the first thing Emma realizes is he's immobilized. His arm is shackled above his head, forcing him into a kneeling V position. His blunted arm is shackled in a way that he can't maneuver out of and his head is hanging limply, yet he's still making low sounds.

"Hook?" she calls softly. It makes him stir, but he isn't able to lift his head to look at her. She falls to her knees in front of him, talking in a mere whisper as she places a hand on his cheek lifting him up to look at her. "Killian?"

The whole right side of his face is badly bruised, eye swelled shut, the other looking glazed over and distant. "Swan?" he says, his good eye narrowed in question. He looks like he doesn't believe she was actually there.

"We have got to stop meeting like this," she teases, giving him a peck on the cheek. "First me, now you." Killian rolls his eye.

"The lengths I'll go to for a second date."

"That was not a first date." she insists. Mulan quickly unshackles his arm, causing his entire side to drop and Killian to groan.

"Let me guess, Henry missed me?" he teases as Emma goes to support him.

"Yeah, I'm totally here for the cat," she says sarcastically.

"Knew it."

"Will you two stop it? We need to get out of here," Mulan snaps, undoing the final chain releasing Killian. But he's obviously too sore to move.

"You really shouldn't have come here," he says seriously as she struggles to carry his body weight. He's trying to stand, but she can feel his muscles strain and see his eyes skew shut.

"I have to agree with you there." says a voice. Mulan moves instantly, getting in between them and the presence, drawing her blade.

Walsh steps into the light, guards at either side of him. "Emma darling, here I was trying to _avenge you; t_ rying to get justice on this menace for ruining our wedding," he sneers.

Emma glares back.

"Don't you want that darling?" he insists, getting closer. Mulan steps in front, glaring at him.

"Not another step," she demands. He does stop, not even looking at the warrior in front of him.

"You don't do you?" he says confidently. "I thought he looked rather familiar that day in my room, when he took you from me." Emma feels Killian tense in her grasp. "All it took me was a while to realize, a while down here for him to admit where I knew him from," he says with a laugh.

"Sadist," Killian spits out. Walsh ignores him.

"He's that prince who ruined our dance don't you remember darling?" Emma doesn't say a thing. She tries to hide how everything was unraveling and she was helpless to stop it. " _Prince Charles_ I recall, except I know the real prince and he assured me he was nowhere near the palace that day. He masqueraded as a prince to deceive you darling." Emma doesn't even blink.

"And you think if he hadn't I'd ever want to dance with you?" she asks. "Seriously? You _are_ a piece of work Walsh. An egotistical fool that thinks being royal means you're entitled to anything. News flash, but that's not how things work in the real world."

His grin widens. "You already knew that he wasn't a prince." He laughs. "This keeps getting better and better. You are going to marry me, or you'll be ruined, Princess. Ruined. Screwing a pirate? No one will ever touch you."

Killian jolts in her grip. "You leave her alone," he snarls going for him despite his weakened state. "I swear I'll bloody kill you if you even think about slandering her name."

Walsh is laughing, cackling with glee. "Did you hear that guards? The prisoner is threatening me. Kill him and the warrior. Keep the princess alive."

Emma doesn't wait for the guards to move, grabbing Killian as Mulan deals with the approaching guards. "Run!" the warrior orders.

They do exactly that. She takes Killian, him staggering next to her, towards the back of the dungeon, the same way they entered. It leads to an exit that is supposed to be unguarded for a little while longer.

"Swan-" Killian starts, but she shakes her head.

"She'll be fine," Emma insists.

"We can't let him tarnish you love," he says. "Leave me here, get to safety, they'll never know you were even here."

Emma blinks at his insistence. She doesn't understand. "If I die here Swan, it'll be his word against yours. No one will believe him. Your reputation-"

"I don't care!" she snaps. "I don't care about any of that. Not if you're dead. I don't care about any other man wanting me as long as I have you." Emma hesitates. "You do want me right?"

He kisses her, a gentle thing, his hand coming up to her cheek. His forehead presses against hers.

"Til the ends of the earth Emma, my love." he vows with a grin. "Now, let's get out of this bloody place."

"Emma?!" Emma turns suddenly, forcing Killian behind her. Her eyes widen.

"Bloody hell," Killian curses and he's entirely right, because her parents were staring back at her, wide eyed and in shock.

"I can explain?"

/

She does explain, but not fully until after the death of Captain Hook; he dies in that Oz dungeon from his injuries sustained in captivity.

On their way back home, they do come across a sailor escaped from Neverland. Long thought dead Lieutenant Killian Jones returns from the dead, and to Misthaven of course.

He brings with him news of The King of Oz's long sought cure to actually be a deadly poison. They all agree it was just a tragic mistake of course.

She does explain of course, that while treating the brave Lieutenant's injuries she falls hard and fast for him.

It's only a coincidence of course that he spills a good deal of wine on Prince Walsh at Ruby and Mulan's wedding.

It's not a coincidence at all that Walsh doesn't even show up for their wedding; nor that they name their first child Henry because of the cat.


End file.
